Now, SUNY Sullivan's interim president finds himself taking on new challenges: guiding the school through its reaccreditation process; cutting expenses; and healing a wounded relationship between the college and county officials.

"This campus can be a star," said Murabito, who temporarily replaces President Mamie Golladay, who ended her 13-year run following a series of public controversies, including an abrupt retirement in August.

"I think once we look at what our niche is and what we do best, we can be a major investment in the revitalization and comeback of Sullivan County."

The veteran SUNY system administrator comes to Sullivan with a reputation as a turnaround specialist. He was hired at a salary of $140,000.

His resume includes one-year stints as interim president of SUNY Cobleskill and chief executive officer for SUNY Rockland.

Murabito also spent more than 2﻿1/2 years leading an eight-school consortium of technology colleges looking to increase enrollment and reduce costs by sharing administrative functions.

"He was selected because of his background and because he had been through a lot of the issues that he faces here," said board Chairman Nick Speranza.

At SUNY Sullivan, Murabito confronts a financial challenge repeated at four- and two-year schools around the country: a need to offset rising expenses and public-funding cuts by paring costs and boosting revenues.

An analysis by the SUNY system in June estimated the school's administrative costs at $2,622 per student, the second-highest among two-year schools, which average $1,644.

"What I find here is a campus that has serious structural budget issues," said Murabito. "We have to re-engineer how we do business."

This comes as community colleges around the region, after experiencing rapid growth over the past half-decade, now face declining or flat enrollment.

SUNY Sullivan saw a drop in enrollment of 2.5 percent in 2011 after a 4.53 percent increase just three years before.

SUNY Sullivan is also in the midst of a 10-year review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, its accrediting body.

A full team will visit the school in April. But the school will not wait for the team's recommendations, said Murabito. It will begin implementing changes based on a self-assessment being drafted as part of the review process, he said.

Another target for reform is SUNY Sullivan's enrollment management process. The system is key to attracting and retaining students, thereby boosting enrollment, said Murabito.

The school is also taking steps to raise its visibility. Murabito plans to meet individually with legislators and school superintendents. SUNY Sullivan will also recruit students to speak at local schools.

"I did get the sense that he's come in and bought in a fresh perspective to the college," said Sullivan County Legislator Alan Sorensen, who chairs the committee that oversees the college.

"He's someone with a track record that can bring some needed changes to make it attractive to area students and keep it a viable institution in our community."